BBC Midlands Today

Midlands Today have decided to make its CSO weather screen smaller.

I have absolutely no idea why they have done it and it looks awful!!! They have just placed a bit of cream wall at the bottom.

The weather graphics don't even fit!!! Midlands Today is really going downhill! Roll on Monday for a bit of quality news in the Midlands from Carlton. (hopefully)

http://www.tvhome.f2s.com/ikonboard/upload/mt01.jpg

http://www.tvhome.f2s.com/ikonboard/upload/mt02.jpg

http://www.tvhome.f2s.com/ikonboard/upload/mt03.jpg

I know it doesn't really warrant a new thread but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put it.

This can be turned into a Midlands Today general thread if you wish.

God, Shefali Oza's changed! Has she 'done a Paul Hudson' and taken time off?

I think it looks tacky having the CSO screen next to the desk - it makes the set look stupid. Its better the way NWT have it, opposite the desk, so you never see it on camera.

http://www.tvhome.f2s.com/ikonboard/upload/NW%20Tonight%20Weather%201.jpg

I'm not sure what weather presenter-to-presenter configuration looks best, Look North seem to have got it almost right haven't they? But then again, I'd say that in any event wouldn't I?

I would actually agree Katherine!

The screen is far enough away to make it look good. Where as the Midlands Today screen is on top of the desk.

Also, its pretty small but works rather well. (measured for Paul, of course)

I can't wait to see Christa's 'cheap' wedding that she is apparently bringing in tomorrow, Paul said it could go with her 'cheap' jacket.

What would I do without Look North.

Midlands Today seem to have a very badly done studio. When i had a tape of it from a friend I noticed that the blue form the screen makes the desk look like it has had a chunk out of the side. This new look looks even tackier. Sort your self out Mtod!

Out of the profiles on the Midlands Today site, which of these presenters actually present the main programme the most and which ones do the lunchtime show:

Nick Owen
Kay Alexander
Sue Beardsmore
Michael Collie
Suzanne Virdee
Alison Marsh
Ashley Blake
Mike Kilbane
Richard Smith
Sameena Ali-Khan

Or is it that there's so much news to report in this region, it needs about 8 sub-opts?

Nick Owen - Lunchtime/Evening/Late Presenter

Kay Alexander - Breakfast/Lunchtime Presenter - haven't seen her in ages though!

Sue Beardsmore - Lunchtime/Evening/Late Presenter

Michael Collie - Lunchtime/Evening/Late Presenter - Fills in for Nick Owen, also does newsreading on BBC WM and Radio 2

Suzanne Virdee - Lunchtime/Evening/Late Presenter - Fills in for

Alison Marsh - Sports Presenter on the Evening programme

Ashley Blake - Entertainment Correspondent, also fills in on the Evening programme and presents the Late programme

Mike Kilbane - Reporter/Breakfast Presenter

Richard Smith - Reporter/Breakfast/Weekend Presenter

Sameena Ali-Khan - Weekend Presenter


I hope that answers your question.

Looks to me like it's projected from those screen grabs, not a CSO

No it is CSO, lots of interference around the presenter and no shadow on the graphics!

Midlands Today has been annoying me for months - no one at Pebble Mill seems to care about the presentation! In all honnesty I don't think I've seen an evening programme which hasn't contained some dreadful error (or two) - reflecting the blue screen onto the desk during weather reports is possibly the most frequent but others include wrong astons and wrong reports etc.

Q1. Does anyone know why the astons are ever so slightly transparent and a strange colour which doesn't match the BBC News standard, any other region the set or the programme titles?

Q2. Why is the weather presenter placed so close to the desk when there is such a _huge_ area of fake-wood floor and walls behind the sports present who sits on the right hand end of the desk in the pic above?

Q3. Why is the studio so poorly lit? Specifically, why is that gobo on the wall in such a bright orange? It's random! It messes with the story images behind the presenters!

Q4. Why is the live 'window' behind the desk smaller than any of the other region's 'windows'?

Q5. Why does the 'window' show a live view of the trees outside Pebble Mill even during the 20:30 broadcast when it shows up as a fuzzy shade of dark blue?

I could go on but my complaints about the use of the plasma screens alone would fill a whole new thread! If anyone has any answers for the above, I'd be delighted to hear them.

Thanks,
Peter.

One thing to note about all this is that MidTdy never feels like it has any main anchors (i.e. one particular combination of two people at 1830 that occurs much more often than any other combination).

In theory, I think Nick Owen and Sue Beardsmore are meant to be it. But I don't ever recall that exact pairing to last for five or even four consecutive nights.